LEXION
Keeping his breathing even and a veneer of peaceful calm over his mind he traced his mate as she stealthly drew away from him. All the while he felt her eyes on him, her fear that she'd wake him up.
It was that fear of discovery that sought to exclude a loved one. Painful at times than having the person you loved truly fear you. Lex squashed the hurt that wanted to rise up as he sensed his mate leave her own bedroom to lie down on her sitting room sofa.
Had he been wrong to get in bed with her? She'd seemed to crave his presence and touch whilst they'd been with the goddess. What had changed?
Opening his eyes he stared up at the darkened ceiling, absently watching the play of shadows upon it. All the while trying to maintain the pretense of sleep as he felt her light touch brushing against his mind.
If they'd already mated he'd never have been able to get away with it, but that was a grievance for another day. The reality that his mate had needed a whole room seperating them was enough of a thorn.
He wanted to understand, to acknowledge she had reason to seek solitude, but his heart and his wolf fought that. Despair settled over him like an iron mantle too heavy to even try and remove.
All he wanted was to go and confront her, to demand answers. But did he have a right to do that? Hadn't he promised himself he'd be patient with her, move at her pace? So what if she took a step back? Did he really want to be that guy?
Yet his emotions wouldn't be assuaged by any reason nor would his wolf.
So caught up in himself was he that the sudden shift jarred him so much that his heart nearly squeezed itself out of his chest. His breathing stopped, and his mind shut down before the disorientation overcame him.
Though the sun graced the azure sky, the chill of winter could still be felt against the skin. The wind teasing goosebumps on the exposed skin of the youths eager to embrace the coming summer.
Watching as they raced around and jumped or pushed each other into the pool a need arose to join their carefree stunts. But a call from the Alpha was not something to ignore even if his presence unsettled.
Their Alpha held a sense of danger within him unlike any other. Not the dominating strength all alpha bloods had that reasured pack members of their safety. No, the Alpha raised hackles, silenced those around him with an instinctive need to hide from his notice.
Yet today there was no choice but to be noticed.
The taunt sensation that pervaded the sense of the pack was something the alliance Alphas should've long addressed, but their pack was not in good terms with the alliance. The Alpha claimed it was jealousy on the others' part and there was enough merit in the sentiment. Though suspect said it had to be more than that.
Even with the autonomy an Alpha held in his pack, he was constrained by the alliance and their Alphas. Without it, their pack held a sense of hopelessness that even a bright spring day could never hide. And the Alpha was the cause.
The warriors guarding the back entrance that opened up to the kitchen were disconcerting. There was something shifty in them and their knowing smirks were far from reasuring. They confirmed all fears, this meeting was going to be unpleasant, very much so.
The door was open and the Alpha waited behind the counter, their gazes clashed and that sense of inevitable devastating change petrified inside. His blue eyes held no emotion, were a calm pool that nonetheless showed the hard core of him.
"Alpha." As was the custom a pack member acknowledged his position first.
"Nia." He recieved her.
His gaze held hers, willing her to keep the contact. A silent command she couldn't refuse even as her heart pounded her chest and she had to suppress a shiver of distaste.
She was rendered mute by her fear and confusion. Why had the Alpha called her to him? He'd never done that before, prefering to ignore her existence. Something Nia was grateful for.
"Tell me why you've avoided me all these years." He finally stated when her skin had long since threatened to leave her.
She swallowed, "We don't move in the same circles Alpha and as you know my aunt rarely has us here."
"Ah yes, your aunt. I understand she's away visiting friends?"
"Yes."
"And your sister is away on her mysterious oracle duties?"
A frown rose up inside her, but she refused to have it mar her face. The Alpha knew all this. Why was he asking. "Yes." She confirmed again.
The Alpha nodded. "I'm concerned about you being all alone in that cottage of yours so removed from anyone else's." He stated. "What if a rogue managed to invade and you being a healer and so helpless?"
Though the concern he expressed was in keeping with an Alpha, everything inside Nia rebelled. In fact, all her instincts screamed for her to run. But one never ran from an alpha, it made their primal nature even more dominant.
Nia hated to be reminded of her newfound healing abilities and what they'd taken from her. She was now a liability. Before, the Alpha would never have had such a concern.
"Thank you for your concern but I'm fine." She demurred.
"No, I can't have you unprotected." He stated then paused. "After all, our parents were such good friends."
Something in the mild way he said the last statement had alarms jangling through her. An urgent scream that once again pushed her to run. She turned to the now closed door she'd come in through and sensed the warriors beyond.
No, that wouldn't be a safe way to go. The other door to the rest of the house was open but she'd have to go past the Alpha himself.
"You don't sense it do you?" He asked, a smile that anyone without Nia's senses would've called amused crossed his face.
"Sense what?" She asked even as she tried to map out her escape.
"That we're mates." He stated.
Everything rushed in on her, thoughts she barely registered fleeting so fast through her mind. One thought rang through everything she was, denial, but she knew it was true.
All the while she'd been in the kitchen her senses had been tugging at ner, urging her to realise something. Even her wolf had been agitated but she'd chalked it up to her need to escape him.
Did her wolf want to be with him? Why hadn't she alerted Nia to him?
'There's something wrong with our mate.' Her wolf whined from where, Nia realised, Tania was trying to hide in their shared consciousness. Which made Nia want to escape even more.
He was watching her with a detached expression on his face. His sharp eyes taking in her paling face, something she couldn't hide. And Nia knew she had to hide her true feelings, knew she needed time to come to terms with this.
A twisted smile curved his lips, the disdain he'd been hiding coming through. "You're not happy about it are you." He laughed without humor. "Most mundane nobodies like you would be jumping with joy yet you deign to be unhappy."
"N-no..." Nia began, though she had no idea what she'd say.
"Don't," he commanded. "Don't lie to me. An Alpha can sense the feelings of his pack and you Nia are disappointed in your mate."
She swallowed, fear swamping over her even as she wondered at her own ability to sense others' emotions and intentions. And she knew her Alpha mate meant to hurt her, had meant to even before she'd arrived. Hence the creepy guards at the door.
Nia wondered if there were more guards further in. Regardless, she had to leave. Using her exceptional speed she raced past the Alpha whose speed would be as nothing in comparison. Which proved to be a mistake.
Halfway to the door, she found no traction and slid back. Her speed made the contact with the floor all the more painful and Nia saw stars as she cried out knowing she'd likely cracked her skull.
"Oh, did I forget to tell you I had the floor oiled?" The bastard asked, his voice passive as if she wasn't lying bleeding on the floor.
He walked towards her and Nia scrambles away, or tried to. Her head still throabed and her reflexes were slowed and the oil was not helping. Yet her monster of a mate seemed to walk through it just fine.
His fist connected with her jaw and along with the pain of it, she felt the electric tingles. The spark every were girl she knew dreamed of feeling and romanticized. She felt the pull of the sensation, felt her body relax because of them even as she cried out against the pain he'd inflicted.
He pulled her off the floor, her confused mind still trying to piece together the peverse situation she was in. How could he betray he bond that was rarely found more than once? How could he, her mate, hurt her? When he was supposed to cate for her even anove his needs?
"Oh Nia," he smiled as her brought her closer until her body was flush against his and became inflamed with those tingles. "Let me show you the ways that I hate thee." He twisted that romantic saying.
Fear pushed her to twist out of his grip and land a punch to his sternum. She felt the bone crunch against her fist, saw blood splatter out of his mouth before excruciating pain brought her to her knees.
She couldn't breathe as a vice gripped both her lungs before feeding them through a sieve. It was unbearable, pain unlike anything the most sadistic person could inflict. Her heart struggled to compensate, as too much blood flooded her brain in an effort to keep her alive. She screamed as the pain intensified to a point where she saw stars.
Then heard the maniacal laugh of her mate, her Alpha. His hand came to soothe her hair as she braced herself on all four, panting in an effort to relieve the pain. She hated how the touch comforted her, hated how her wolf burrowed further in to escape the conflict his touch brought.
"You crave this don't you?" He mocked. "Don't worry, I'll give you what you want."
Nia tried to craw away. Her body, trembling as she coughed up blood, refused to take her far.
"There's a reason no healer has ever been a Luna. You're too weak to even defend yourself. Can't even throw a punch without losing some organs."
He kicked her in the ribs, breaking a few, and Nia flipped to land on her back. Then her mate laid in on her.
No matter how she begged, pleaded, he kept on at it. Taking out his anger on her, his hatred of her mother. She tried to reason with him, explain that her mother had remain true to the memory of her father but he wouldn't listen.
Finally, she passed out. Her mind embracing the darkness that shrouded over her, hoping that death would release her from the fate the moon had cursed her with. But soon enough she was coughing out water as she shivered from the ice coldness of it.
She knew her body had lost too much blood, knew it'd exhausted itself trying to heal until she couldn't anymore. Now the pain was unbearable. She just wanted to close her eyes again and never wake up. But the dreadful mating sparks ignited down her arm. So much so that the pain in it ceased.
"Now mate," he gritted. "We consumate our bond."
Even as Nia screamed, no sound came through her parted lips. She had no strength left but her mind fought to deny him. Helpless she watched him remove his belt, unbutton his jeans and take them down.
Helpless tears ran down her cheeks, her broken body unable to do anything than lie down and watch the cruel smile that etched his face, the cold eyes that looked ag her as if she were a piece of trash.
Then her mind shut down as more of the electric sensation overwhelmed her, as her body fought to expell the painful intrusion upon it. She blanked it all even as she felt every repulsive moment. Every invasive touch she couldn't escape.
Time dragged unbearably. Each second strained to its thinnest point before it passed through reality. All the while Nia prayed for death. She never wanted to face this monster again, never wanted to experience this again. Never wanted to see another day.
Oh goddess! What had she ever done to deserve this?
Once done, he threw more water onto her then showed her into a dress without care for her injuries. "Tania Ainsworth, I reject you as my mate and Luna." He stated. Just as a bond between mates had to be verbalized, so was a rejection. It was an ancient law none understood, especially since no mate had been rejected in eons.
The tearing of the bond between them sapped the last of Nia's strength and once again she welcomed the darkness that came for her. Maybe now it'd be the final embrace.
The force that yanked Lex out of the memory was painful, and the landing into his own body wasn't any more gentle. He staggered out of the bed and rushed to the toilet where he promptly threw up.
He felt raw, drained. His heart hurt, so did his body and all he wanted was to curl up and forget that he existed. How had his mate survived that? Oh goddess Nia!
As he rushed into the sitting room he saw Cade kneeling besides Nia sobbing uncontrollably. Ben held him up as even he cried silent tears. Had they experienced what he just had? What Nia had gone through?
"I can't wake her up." Cade kept saying, berating himself.
Lex walked up to sit besides Nia, his hand going to caress her. As the mating spark racef over the contact he shivered as he remembered Nia's ordeal. He was awed that she could stand even his touch. He knew he'd have to learn to seperate the memory he now had from the sensation he and Nia generated.
"It's over now." He comforted Cade, his voice harsh and sounding unused.
"No." Cade stated in agitation. "She's on a loop and I can't wake her! I can shield the kids and the old people but she had everyone in the pack with her."
"What?" Lex was horified. His mate was experiencing that horror over and over again? "How did I wake up then?"
"I woke you."
"Then wake her up!" Lexion demanded.
"I can't." Cade despaired.
Lex wanted to beat the heck out of the gangly teenager, to force him to pull his mate out of her nightmare but he restarined himself. He was out of his depths and clearly so wax Cade.
"Can you wake my parents?" He asked Cade who didn't respond as he went back to berating himself. "Cade!" Blue eyes so like his mate stared bankly back at him and his heart constricted. He wanted to see those eyes on a different face.
"Can you wake my parents?" He asked again.
"I don't know. It's taking all I have to shield the vulnerable."
"I'll give you the strength." Ben spoke for the first time, his voice devoid of feeling.
"Good." Lex replied hoping his parents would have the answers.